September 6, 2005

• Big and loving it.  That is what it says in one of my pregnancy books.  Yes, it is nice to be nearing the end.  I don’t mind being big because I realize I’m only 10 or less weeks away and then I get the big reward.  It is trying at times though.  Shopping for even groceries is becoming difficult.  With gas at $3.30 Brian takes my car most days and I try to get all the errands done in one day.  I am usually unable to walk by the end of the day.  (I won’t take the truck.  It is too hard to get in and out of.) Yesterday, Labor Day,  I took Brian with me to the store so he could do the lifting of  the  heavier things and pack it all upstairs.  That was really nice. 

  
  

  The baby is really getting crowded  and is demonstrating her frustration with her surroundings constantly by trying to stretch me out.  She stretches out to her full capacity sometimes and nearly brings tears to my eyes.  Not a gentle reminder that there is a critter in there.  Serra~V~ was much calmer with active moments only a few times a day.  This not so little girl does aerobics nearly all day and night.    I wonder if this activity is demonstrative of how she will be as a baby.  I am not yet to the point where I would do anything to get the baby out.  I think that is what the last month is for.  You have to be willing to go through labor.  Mom asked me on Saturday how I was going to make it through the next two months.  I was waddling quite a bit, I’ll admit, but that was due to being on my feet canning all day.  I am usually not that duck like.  Mostly I am not too uncomfortable and am able to take it easy if I need to. 

  
  

  One regret though:  I would have loved to have taken Serra to Disneyland with her cousins and grandparents.  She has asked many times  when we get to do that.  I could have sent her with out me but I am selfish and want to be there the first time she goes.  I wasn’t into paying $60 to be on my feet all day and not be able to do anything but watch.

  
  

  I met all my August goals.  Our photo albums are all caught up through 2004.  I am not sure when I will tackle 2005 but they will be primarily on the computer.  We will need to get a new printer though before I print so I have been putting it off a bit.  Serra’s halloween costume is complete.  She will be a fancy butterfly this year.  The baby has two new outfits and the first of the matching girl outfits is on deck. 

  
  

  Labor Day Weekend:  Brian has been sick for well over a week and was really looking  forward to having a few days off to recuperate.  Saturday I made breakfast (haven’t done that in a long time) and after enjoying a nice sit down meal together we attacked our upstairs closet.  With a baby in the wings we realized we needed a little more bedside room next to our bed.  Serra occupies it right now and the rest of the space was taken up by the dresser.  With a little remodeling and closet clearing we were (Brian mostly) able to fit the dresser in the closet making a large space next to our bed that will fit a baby bed and a Serra bed.  Why does Serra not sleep in her bed downstairs, you ask?  She gets “scare-ed”.  There are “mossters”.  It is a very noisy room as it faces the street with all the garage doors.  You can hear everything that goes on outside including loud gatherings our young neighbors frequently have.  So she sleeps on the floor in our room.  While I made and canned sweet and sour sauce the rest of the day Brian and Serra played together.  They went for a walk to the park and watched a movie together.  We then cleaned up and headed to Camarillo for Katrina’s baptism and combined birthday celebrations.  Katrina was a happy kid to be taking this step.  I really like the way their Stake does the baptisms too.  They all meet together for the first part and then do the baptisms and confirmations separately as wards or families.  It was very organized and efficient. 

  
  

  I tried earlier in the week to explain baptism a little to Serra.  When I explained the Holy Ghost, she exclaimed, “What Ghost?”  It was fun to see all the little kids lined up at the font.  Goergianna was squeaking the whole time and had to be removed by Grandma so the ordinance could take place in a more quiet setting. She was quite amazed  and excited that Katrina was in the water and then went under the water.  As the men gathered in a circle for the confirmation, Serra tried to stand in it too.  After it was over, Goergianna went up and tried to get some handshakes too.  She is so tiny though that she got left hanging by most who didn’t see her. 

  
  

  The party after was fun for most.  Serra had been looking forward to the gathering with the cousins for quite some time.  After eating the kids were running around in the backyard.  First Serra bloodied up her toe when she stubbed it but as usual refused to take a bandaid as she deems them evil and horrible.  Then, full speed ahead ran into the patio post (because as usual she was not looking where she was going but off the the side somewhere)  The house shook with the impact and her cheek swelled up immediately.  We were fortunate that she hit the flat part of the post instead of a corner.  She has only a faint bruise to show for it now.  Then came present opening time.  How unfair it was that everyone was getting presents but her, or so it seemed.  She cried a bit over the unfairness of it all.  She has had a hard time with the concept of a birthday only once a year.  In the end all were appeased with Oreo pie. 

  
  

  Sunday was very relaxing with our regular meetings, a long nap, dinner, and family time in the evening.  Recently, the Prophet challenged the church to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year and we are taking it on.  We spend a little time each evening reading.  We are including Serra in this as well with the illustrated version.  She loves it and while we read from the real thing she looks at her pictures and retells the stories she has heard.  I have really enjoyed this and am glad that we were issued this challenge.

  
  

  Monday I talked Brian into going over to a furniture store going out of business to see if there were any dressers at a good deal.  We didn’t find anything but as mentioned earlier the help with the groceries was much appreciated.  Serra was promised a cone from “Donalds” that day and she was ready for it at 10 am.  We talked her into waiting for a little while.  Back at home I warded off a headache with a short nap and Brian did the same while Serra enjoyed a movie.  We spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool.  Much to my surprise, as we got into the pool, Serra took off on her own and swam (aided by her water wings, or ducks in this case)  She has been afraid and clingy this whole summer and although I have worked with her I didn’t think she would be this brave until next year.  I was amazed and we had lots of fun chasing each other around in the water.  Daddy even threw her a few times and she went under.  She didn’t get upset.  Very surprising.  We may have a swimmer next year if we have pool access somewhere.  We went to a local Mexican place for dinner and then Serra got her promised cone.  She was more interested in playland than her cone when all was said and done.  We spent a relaxing evening at home.

  
  

  Brian thinks he feels much better today.  I think the weekend was just what he needed.  Serra sure enjoyed having him around and so did I. 

  
  

  Brian has completed all but the final exam for his Brokers licence.  We are awaiting notification of the date he will test.  We think in October sometime.  School has started back up again and it will be a busy semester he thinks.

  
  

  We have one last hurrah in Vegas before the baby comes planned for next weekend and we are hoping to take a family weekend in Yosemite at the end of the month.  We’ll see how things pan out. 

  
  

  We have had so many tomatoes this year that the sauce I made on Saturday had the first batch of  them.  Salsa is in the works today with over 30 beauties that need to be used.  This is quite miraculous if you have seen the size of our planting area. We also have 15 jumbo habeneros.  Any takers?  Even Brian is afraid of these now since I included one in his last batch of pico de gallo.

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